Vito_jr:

Review by Vito_jr for Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver, Blue
Rating:
Really don’t like a dry shave, so I went looking for a wet/dry electric option. A little over a year ago I bought the Panasonic ES8168. It gave a good shave on the face but I needed to go over the neck several times for the closeness I wanted. All in all a good shave…but not great. Also, I wasn’t crazy about the cleaning/drying/charging station – I didn’t like having to buy the refillable cleaning units and it took almost four hours to complete all cycles.

Recently I picked up the ES8243A and couldn’t be happier. Firstly, the shaver’s appearance is much nicer than the online photos… the blue on the front is dark and the sides and back are slightly rubberized black (I think it is black). So if you are holding out for the black model ES8243K (with the cleaning unit) don’t bother. The 8243A is the new “four blade” technology – purported to be a faster, closer shave. I have found it is what has been advertized – a faster and closer shave! The “four blades” actually refers to the outer foil, a “squarer” design than the 8168. There are still two inner blades, but spaced farther apart than the 8168. For me, the new head design touches more of my face than the 8168 and therefore cuts faster. I have read on other sites that the foil is a thinner steel, allowing the inner blades more access to the skin. The shave has been fast, gliding easily and for the most part needs only one pass for the reults I want. Big improvement!

Ergonomically the shaver is easier to hold than the 8168 and the head design hits all of the hard to reach areas of the neck.

Have been using it with Billy Jealousy Hydroplane shave cream, a great product. Because you only need to apply a very thin layer it is perfect for an electric shaver. The ES8243 glides effortlessly over it and the build-up on the razor is minimal. I usually rinse it 3 -4 times during each shave.

Until this shaver I have been of the opinion the electrics couldn’t compare to the closeness of the Gillette Fusion (my previous fav), but all that has changed with the ES8243A. For the first time I can say the shave is as close as the non-electric options, and with no razor burn. IMO Panasonic has hit the bullseye with this product.

Doctor J:

Review by Doctor J for Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver, Blue
Rating:
For years I’ve searched for the perfect electric shaver. I have a tough beard and very sensitive skin, so a straight razor is out of the question. To get a smooth shave from any top brand electric shaver takes 20 minutes, and the abrasions are a killer, not to mention the red face for most of the day. So I once again entered the new razor arena, recently trying the top brand shavers including the newest Braun Pulsonic 9585 and the latest Norelco Arcitec, and was left unsatisfied with 20 minute painful and irritating shaves, until using the Panasonic Arc 4 ES8243A.

I’ve never been inspired to comment on any product of any kind like this, but I would like to spare others the hours of surfing online for the perfect shaver. The Panasonic Arc 4 actually delivers as claimed. I can shave comfortably and even more smoothly in literally half the time compared to my previous 20 minute ordeals. I’m also experiencing an unexpected bonus: even after only a few days, each shave has taken less time than the day before. My last shave this morning was only 8 minutes. My skin is consistently left smooth and comfortable. So far, I’ve only used this shaver dry. When I’m not rushed in the morning I may try it wet to see if I can lessen my shaving time even more.

Comdet:

Review by Comdet for Panasonic ES8243A Arc IV Nano Men’s Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver, Blue
Rating:
I have several electric shavers – always looking to try out something new. Up until now, my best shave was from the Norelco Arcitec line. Well, the Arcitec has been put aside in favor of the Arc IV.

I used a Panasonic a couple of years ago (one of their lower-end models) and found it gave a pretty good shave when used wet, but a so-so shave when used dry. It was particularly poor on the neck and jaw line, areas where the Arcitec really shines. It was a very comfortable shave, but the Panny got passed along to my nephew since I mostly tend to shave dry.

Heard that the Arc IV had some notable improvements, so I thought I’d check it out (especially since it was on sale). I’m pleased to report that the improvements are real — the dry shave is far better than before, especially on the neck area. Just as gentle as the Braun Pulsonic, but far closer. Perhaps even a wee bit closer than the Norelco, and certainly more gentle on the face than a rotary.

The build quality is excellent — very solid with a non-slip grip. The screen area gives info on charge status which is very helpful (does it in percent of charge left). Recharge time is great (under 1 hour for a total discharge to total charge status).

This razor is one of the easiest to clean, so save some money and get this model rather than the model with the cleaning station. I’ve used the Panasonic cleaning stations and, while they are better than the ones offered by Remington and Norelco, they are way behind what Braun offers. You’ll get the razor just as clean — and usually cleaner — if you clean it under the tap (just a couple of drops of liquid soap, run it in turbo mode, quick rinse, and you’re done). Since the razor is built to be used in the shower, you don’t have to be careful as you are with other razors when rinsing it off under the tap.

Excellent shave, easy to clean, quick to charge, and comfortable to use. Five stars!!

ThickNjustrite:

Review by ThickNjustrite for Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV Nanotech Vortex Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver, Silver
Rating:
Hi. 1st of all,I am in no way affiliated with,nor have had any history/relationship/problems with Panasonic,Braun nor Philips/Norelco in any way. After reading this review you will understand why I put in that part.

Ok,gonna be a long review so I won’t get into too many details about the 3 razors specifics,which may be found in other 5 star reviews.

1st things 1st;

I am a 47 year old,dark skinned Caucasion with thick,dark hair everywhere(ugh),including on/in my ears,and was blessed with a face like coarse sandpaper.My chest hair meets my neck hair it’s so extreme. Anyway, I have tried many of the more expensive electric shavers since I began shaving,at about 12 years of age,beginning with my Dads old corded/heavy Remington. Every 5 years or so I’d try a couple of the new/latest ones,but always ended up going back to shaving cream & a blade. The last electric I tried before now,about 10 years ago,was the 1st ever 14,000 rpm Panasonic,the one from Sharper Image(purchased online for less than 1/2 the price of Sharper Image). After 1 month of daily use I switched back to a blade again,but that Panasonic wasn’t bad for its time,and it was the best at that time,but again,not as comfortable nor as close as a blade.

Why I bought this;

My last(and NOW final)manual blade was the Gillette Fusion Power(3 bladed, not the 5),which is the best manual I have ever used including the 5 blade Gillette & Schick. On Black Friday of this year(2009) I was at Walmart & I came across the Norelco Arcitec 1090x. I figured I was due to try a new electric…I could always return it. Well,I was amazed by the performance. I paid $149.00 plus tax for it. After loving it, I returned it to Walmart & bought it on E-Bay for $120.00 total. After 29 days of using it, I decided to check the prices & reviews of other shavers on Amazon.com,figuring IF I could POSSIBLY even improve on the Arcitec for a comparable price,great! I figured maybe I didn’t know any better since the Arcitec was the 1st electric I had tried in almost 10 years,so I’d give others a try. Again,I could always return them.

So,I got the Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV and the Braun Series 7-790cc models,unbelievably priced at $129.99 & $149.99 respectively,from Amazon.com. The Panasonic got 5 stars from 5 reviewers,the Braun 4 1/2 from over 700 reviewers,and were 2 of the best I could find in any price range(the Norelco got 4 stars).

When I got this;

First,the Panasonic arrived. After the 1st use,I put my beloved Arcitec back in its very awkward,troublesome & frustrating packaging & called Norelco for a return authorization(Amazon doesn’t accept returns on Hazardous materials…the cleaning fluid). Remember,I LOVED the Norelco,I didn’t know any better,YET. But,the Panasonic blew it off the charts in every conceivable way,right out of the box! As for the “adjustment period from rotary to foil”, there was none, although I imagine it will get even better in time,which is hard to conceive happening! What the Arcitec gave me,which I figured was just the way things are with electrics these days,and considered acceptable or even temporary,(irritation on my neck & upper chest)was a very smooth,close shave. But,it also dealt out very warm/hot shaver heads/foils after 10 minutes of shaving,and hand fatigue,none of which exists with the Panasonic. This Arc iv Nano totally blew me away,even to the point where I was not even going to try the Braun when it arrived. But,I had to,just to make sure,with hope,that it COULD possibly be even better then the Panasonic. Then again,I was almost hoping it would not,since I fell instantly in love with the Arc iv. “How could near perfection be topped”,I asked myself?

What happened next;

Anyway,I got the Braun,disliked the looks right out of the box, charged it,tried it out & immediately put it back in the box, then set up a return with Braun(again,no Haz.Mat returns to Amazon). All I can say is,in order,my scorecard (a chart I made) came out like this; On a scale of 1-5,based on 21 different performance,quality,comfort & other criteria; Panasonic 101 points(ok,the case is of the lowest quality imaginable.Guess they had to keep the cost down SOMEWHERE!),Norelco 79 points & Braun 66 points. The ONLY good things I can say about this Braun is it shaved pretty close & has a nice small head (2 cool looking micro foils, a nice angle,& ability to use it plugged in(corded),which the other 2 lack(gr8 case too! Lol)..I may have kept it had the other 2 not existed.MAYBE.

And then;

On the down side, the Braun is the loudest of all 3,feels the cheapest,has a poor “grip” feel,has Alcohol based cleaning fluid which evaporates unless you keep putting the cap back on(see other reviews,even 5 star…Panasonic’s is Alcohol free),no protective foil cap(Huh???…they include a useless brush…WHY…it’s washable and has a cleaning station…BUT no protection for the ultra thin foils!!??? GHASTLY!!! Hellooooooooo), a cheap feeling on/off button & is NOT water submergible/wet shaveable. The pop-up trimmer was inferior to both the Panasonic & the Norelco as well. The other 2 don’t have a brush because again,it’s unnecessary/useless.Who in their right mind would tediously brush stubbles out of an electric shaver instead of washing it,rinsing it in seconds,or use the cleaning base( my daughter used the brush,on her Barbie doll )??? A brush can actually damage the thin foils…IT SAYS SO IN ALL THE MANUALS !!!!

And so;

As for the Norelco,it gives a nice, close shave(15 minutes minimum though, for an ultra close shave),looks great and is fun to shave with,and has manual clean/rinse ability,but is NOT submergible nor a “Wet” shaver. No “cleaning station” though,which is useful for weekly deep cleaning of oils from the skin,and dries a just-rinsed/cleaned razor. The heads on the arcitec pop up individually to clean & I enjoyed that aspect of this razor(man toys,you know). On the down side, it’s tinny,has a cheap sounding motor,is hard to hold onto comfortably for the 15+ minutes it takes to get an almost blade close shave,as my hand starts to come close to cramping up,feels a bit cheap & too light/fragile,caused regular lower neck irritation and the heads get too hot to continue finishing your shave( hadda keep dipping it in ice water,it went ‘tssst’, then dry it! ). It has a cheap,thin plastic,standing charging stand which is so light it needs suction cups( included! ) on the bottom to hold it up when the razor is in place(or…crunch..it’ll fall over)! It does however have a cool thick plastic/rubber “charging case”, but it’s big & bulky, has no hinge(it opens into 2 pieces). The Razor has an ultra cheap trimmer “switch”,which seems like a cutout from some plastic mail bin or something,and is hard to switch on because it is tiny,flat & lacks any kind of “gripping” material,like rubber. The tiny trimmer itself,contrary to other reviews of the arcitec,is useful for getting behind sideburns & ears,and you MUST pull off the shaving head to achieve its full usefullness,something some other reviewers didn’t realize. It was the 2nd loudest,and NOT a nice sound…like a grinding/thrashing sound,same as all Norelco rotary shavers. Imagine a Corvette sounding like an old VW bug? Not good. It’s a guy thing,you know.

Still with me? Hope so…almost done.You’ll thank me later.

Finally;

As for my new baby,the Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV Nanotech Vortex is PERFECT,in every way I can imagine. (Please check other 5 star reviews for more precise details,as this review is long enough). It is the electric shaver I always dreamed someone would invent. No cons whatsoever(Personally,the case is good enuf for me)! CLOSER than my manual Gillette Fusion Power razor,or ANY OTHER non-electric I’ve ever tried/used,and I’ve had em all,which I NEVER thought possible with an electric but always wished would happen! Zero irritation anywhere!(ANY razor,manual or electric,which claims to shave smooth in ONE PASS,is B.S.ing us). I can even use Alcohol based aftershave lotion with this gem, where-is the other 2 caused redness,then burned & caused more redness(irritation)even when I tried alcohol & dye free cream aftershave “lotions”(with a blade too)! With the Norelco,I thought it was just the “adjustment period” from a manual to an electric,but with the Panasonic,nothing!

I cannot imagine where any inventor can go from here! Maybe a lazer shaver,or a “touchless”? And it sounds as sweet as a Mazerati sports car!

Epilogue;

As for the 700+ Braun users who gave it 4 1/2 stars,and the Norelco users who gave the arcitec 4 stars(I’d give it 3 now,Braun 1 1/2),I can only imagine that most of them must be loyal customers to those brands & never tried this or any other highly rated Panasonic shaver.Or,they’re stuck with their units & are in denial. Some may actually prefer it,who knows. But,700+ gave this Braun 4 1/2 stars! I’m sure there are millions(ok, hunders of thousands worldwide) of non-reviewers who had a similar experience as myself,as well as millions [ ] of Norelco/Braun users who are as unsatisfied as I was.There is absolutely no comparison between these 3 shavers! Not by a very long shot!

Buy it…buy all 3 like I did,and see what I mean. You will want to shave 3 times a day at least with the Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV or any comparable Panasonic model,if that was possible. Wish I could! It’s THAT good/enjoyable! Now,shaving is pure enjoyment,something I now look forward to doing & something I thoroughly hated and avoided/procrastinated doing as much as possible with a manual.

Ok,the finish line;(I know,Thank God)

The “retail” price of this Panasonic is $249.00 I paid 129.00,free shipping,from Amazon.I’d pay $249 & higher for this razor.The Braun retails for $299.00 I’d pay maybe as high as $100.00 for it…maybe….IF the other 2 didn’t exist( but would probably end up, like always in the past, back to shave cream & manual razor). The Norelco retails for $249.00…I’d pay it,but only if the Panasonic didn’t exist, & over the Braun even if it were $100.00

What year is this,I’ve been sitting here for quite some time….???

Happy shaving to all!

(UPDATE); SHOCKING !!! 2/24/10 This ISN’T ez for me… Just got a Panasonic ES7103K Pro-Curve Wet/Dry Triple Head Shaver, Black on Amazon for $45.00-just to see what it does due to its 5 star review, figuring if it came even close to my ES8249S,I’d keep it as a “backup”. I could always return it, hehe.

Well,dare I say that it absolutely BLOWS AWAY the ES8249S !!!!! Yes,you read that right. It shaves me in 1/2 the time & the results are even better (guess it WAS possible!)! It’s MUCH quieter,has a much nicer “feel” & gets into the “tight” spots much easier(3 “heads”, 1/2 the size of the 8249). I think the “slower” motor speed,10,000rpm, works better then the 13,000 on the ES8249S!(Overkill?) Unreal,right!? I even called Panasonic to return my ES8249S , to get my 129.00 back, but my time has expired for a refund. I CAN exchange it for a “comparable model”,said Panasonic, but what good would THAT do? Maybe I’ll get 3- ES7103K’s in exchange…or just keep the ES8249S as a backup…

I NEVER thought this would happen/be possible(as my review of the ES8249S conveys)! Ok,Slight drop in quality of materials, no “cleaning station” (but it’s all about the SHAVE,really,& a nice lather rinsing of the unit works,saves electricity & space on the counter,& is FREE. If necessary, “deep clean” with alcohol swabs,or immerse in an astrigent like “Sea Breeze”,no big effort), but I’d rather have 3- ES7103K’s than 1 ES8249S! Go figure this would’ve happened after my review of the ES8249S. I mean,it’s not even CLOSE (pun intended). Went from an 8 minute shave to a 4-5 min. CLOSER shave! Had to bump the ES8249S to 4 stars, from 5.

So,get a “backup” for $45.00 & have a good cry,like me, a cry of joy & pain!

UPDATE #2; 3/4/10 Ok, I’ve been using the ES7103K THEN I “finish up” with the ES8249S. I think I’ve found the PERFECT way to shave! The ES8249S seems to “finish up” whatever the ES7103K “left behind”,which may sound contradictory now, but by that I mean the “very finest” of stubbles, & THAT’S ALL! Anyway,the 7103K is still THE BEST,alone, & it’s my favorite!

Update #3; 4/19/10 Well, I have to say I am using both razors, & the ES8249S has held up better, still working like new, while the ES7103K just doesn’t seem to be as smooth as it was new. So, get them both, or just the 8249S or 2 of the others & alternate, because I can’t seem to make up my mind anymore.

Gregory P. Johnson:

Review by Gregory P. Johnson for Panasonic ES8249S Arc IV Nanotech Vortex Wet/Dry Rechargeable Shaver, Silver
Rating:
After using electric and cordless shaver models from Norelco, Remington and Braun, I settled on the wet/dry features of the Panasonic models. I replaced my first one with a 3-blade ES8092 6 years ago. It shaved closer than other models, was smoother and more comfortable on my face, and you could wash the heads. It no longers works well. I may just need a new head, but instead of spending up to $40 on a new head, I decided to check out the latest and greatest in new shavers.

I didn’t look seriously at the offerings from Norelco and Braun as I have been disappointed the performance of both those models and poor durability with Braun shavers. I was astonished to see that the Panasonic models have lower prices than both the Norelco and the Braun. I settled on the Nanotech Vortex 4 blade models. The blades are extra sharp. One blade has a wider opening to handle my coarse African American graying beard hairs, two regular blades handle the bulk of the shave, while a fourth finishing blade leaves your face as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I recall how the Norelco rotary had a blade system that lifts the hair while a second blade cut if off. Unfortunately, when it pulled that hair up, it sometimes pinches and the second blade cuts off some raised skin. It was uncomfortable and abrasive. This Panasonic is smooth and painless. There is a turbo mode with an extremely high vibration rate to clean the blades under running water. It is a significant improvement over my previous Panasonic 3-blade model. I highly recommend Panasonic’s Arc IV 4-blade shavers. The shave is top notch and build quality is great.

The cleaning system that comes with this model is a waste of money and time. I bought this model because it was only about $25 more than the ES8243 model without the cleaning system. What a waste. It takes over an hour to clean and dry. It’s noisy. It uses costly proprietary detergent cartridges that must be replaced monthly. It is a gift that keeps on taking your money and you don’t need it anyway. It’s just a gimmick folks. Don’t fall for it. You will be happier with the cheaper model.

Amazon has the best price along with top notch customer service, but I bought mine down the street at my local Target for 6 dollars more.